Cities Unlimited – What is the Future to our Old Industrial Areas?

1. Cities Unlimited – What is the Future to our Old Industrial Areas?

2. Structure • Introduction • From Boom to Burden – what is the Background to Today's Problems? • Today's Troubles – Why are the Cities Still Falling Behind Today? • Sunderland and Bochum – How Do Different Cities Handle Similar Difficulties • The Next Step – How To Cope in the Future

3. Basic Sources • Cities Unlimited: a study by the think tank „Policy Exchange“ • documents of other corporations (e.g. Urban Task Force, Ecotec Research & Consulting Limited) • Internet sources (e.g. statistics.gov.uk, The Northern Way) • Geography books (foremost „Innovationsraum Ruhrgebiet“)

4. Structure • Introduction • From Boom to Burden – what is the Background to Today's Problems? • Today's troubles – Why are the Cities Still Falling Behind Today? • Sunderland and Bochum – How Do Different Cities Handle Similar Difficulties • The Next Step – How To Cope in the Future

5. From Boom to Burden • Economy: originally based on agriculture • Industrial Revolution (18th century) -> CHANGE • Inventions: steam engine, machinery, collieries • Coal, iron and steel industries played a big role • Expansion of cities --> a lot of housing was needed • Improvements of infrastructure

6. From Boom to Burden • England (heyday: late 19th century) • Mother country of industry • port cities: export and trade essential • Germany (heyday: 1957) • lagged behind England (~ 70 years) • Political and economic instability • Transport via train, Rhine and Ruhr rivers

7. From Boom To Burden • Decline (1950s to 1970s) • Not able to compete any longer, not profitable • Need for coal shrunk --> switch to oil, gas • Colliery and factory closures --> unemployment • Subsidies and regeneration programmes to counteract the cities' decline

8. Structure • Introduction • From Boom to Burden – what is the Background to Today's Problems? • Today's troubles – Why are the Cities Still Falling Behind Today? • Sunderland and Bochum – How Do Different Cities Handle Similar Difficulties • The Next Step – How To Cope in the Future

9. Today's Troubles • regeneration projects for urban renewal • intention: revitalization of the economy, attractiveness of cities • structural change: service sector has increased

10. Today's Troubles • British old industrial cities: situation is bad • Gross Value Added about 13 % under national average • personal incomes way lower than national average • unemployment situation very difficult • since 2001: £6 billion of annual regeneration funding • Policy Exchange: „attempts to regenerate British cities [...] have failed“

11. Today's Troubles • Locational factors (e.g. labour supply and closeness to the market) are not given • no customers in old industrial towns; connection to successful towns is bad • successful graduates leave for London • old industrial towns: unattractive • house prices low, shrinking population trend • especially young families move away • a lot of unsatisfied social housing tenants stay

12. Today's Troubles • Ruhr Area: attractive region • a lot of city centres, town malls, events, exhibitions, musicals: culturally attractive • Industrial Heritage Trail: reminder of the historical background • excellent motorway network & public transport • tertiary sector: profitable

13. Today's Troubles • still difficult aspects of the Ruhr Area: • unemployment rate: 10.4 % (December 2008) • tertiary sector does not employ as many workers as the manufacturing sector • educational standard not as good as in other regions • shrinking population trend, bad image • empty residential estates, demolition, ...

14. Structure • Introduction • From Boom to Burden – what is the Background to Today's Problems? • Today's troubles – Why are the Cities Still Falling Behind Today? • Sunderland and Bochum – How Do Different Cities Handle Similar Difficulties • The Next Step – How To Cope in the Future

15. Sunderland and Bochum

16. Sunderland and Bochum • Sunderland (180.000 inh.): once largest shipbuilding town worldwide • Bochum (376,586 inh.): typical mining town • attempts to become attractive for tourists: • football clubs -> fans make a weekend of it • Ruhr-Park, shopping centres in Sunderland • Schauspielhaus, Sunderland Empire Theatre • National Glass Centre, German Mining Museum

17. Sunderland and Bochum • connectivity • three motorways running through Bochum • no single motorway in Sunderland, bad railway connection • situation of unemployment and education • Sunderland: 4.8 % unemployed, 27 % without qualification • Bochum: 10.2 % unemployed

18. Sunderland and Bochum • Nokia and Nissan: received financial packages • Nokia: subsidies of €88 m. • Branch suddenly closed in January 2008, not competetive, wages too high --> Romania • Nissan: site was sold at low prices • financial crisis: has had to lay off 1,200 workers • financial crisis: even harder for old industrial cities; not able to compete, unskilled workforce, dependent on few firms

19. Structure • Introduction • From Boom to Burden – what is the Background to Today's Problems? • Today's troubles – Why are the Cities Still Falling Behind Today? • Sunderland and Bochum – How Do Different Cities Handle Similar Difficulties • The Next Step – How To Cope in the Future

20. The Next Step • suggestions based on experiences of other countries (Ruhr Area: “a model to Britain“) • an attractive cityscape • housing estates: bigger, higher quality, better design • public places, town centres, green areas • improving social problems • integration of social housing tenants (mixed tenure communities) • appealing high skill workers (golf courses, ...)

21. The Next Step • attracting people to the city • leisure time facilities, cultural offerings • e.g. European Capital of Culture2008: Liverpool, 2010: Essen • lower taxes, financial advantages • improving infrastructure, connectivity • supporting local firms • specific subsidies, business parks, advice services

22. The Next Step • improving educational standards • support schools, school leavers, unemployed people • involving residents in Urban Policy, increasing the accountability of local councils

23. The Next Step • mass migration to London and the South • social housing tenants and well-off people • increasing the size of cities • expanding suburbs, re-using building of low value uses for housing • devolving the power of London • moving the government's key offices out of London

24. Conclusion • a lot of complaints about Cities Unlimited, esp. because of the suggestion of a mass migration • my own opinion: • government should not just support the South but trying to make old industrial cities appealing • basis of regeneration: skilled and well-planned policy • Help cities help themselves – like in the Ruhr Area